Hiring a freelance writer can be very advantageous for business owners because these pros specialize in writing and can be employed temporarily or long-term to focus on specific work. You can find niche freelancers and others who have a more varied experience that can write everything from a simple blog post to a detailed technical tutorial. One of the best things about freelancers is that you can hire someone for one project and if they do not match or exceed your expectations, you can reach out to another writer without losing all the time and money invested on a full-time hire.
Hiring a Freelance Writer
It can take time to find a talented writer with skills that match your company’s needs, so you will need to be patient. Websites like Upwork and The Writer Finder match up clients and writers, allowing you to set up an account and describe what kind of projects you need to hire out for. Another method for hiring a freelance writer is to post ads on Indeed, LinkedIn or Craigslist. These services do charge fees, but once you establish a solid relationship with a writer, you should not have to keep paying those.
Many freelance writers also post their own websites and share their portfolios. To get an idea of what some of these look like, The Write Life has a list of their favorite writer’s websites. You can contact these writers and request price quotes without having to go through a third party, but the prices could be higher. On the other hand, you will not be paying any extra fees to the sourcing agency. Read the resumes and portfolios, see if the writers have the experience that relates to your project at hand, and email them for price estimates.
Why Should I Use Freelance Writers?
Experienced freelance writers can bring diverse experience and knowledge to your table, so their content can be richer and more dynamic than a writer who worked for the same company for many years. This kind of writing is compelling, has more value for your audiences, and can hold their attention longer. You may also want to steer away from large agencies and content mills, who often pressure their writers to produce a lot of quantity – but not quality work.
Writers who work for third parties have to pay them a fee for the work they are assigned. So if you hire a content mill writer, that person is generally paying a fee or percentage to that employer. They end up making less money and also have a boatload of other projects that have to be completed by a deadline. These writers can be quite good at what they do, but since they are on the lower end of the money-making totem pole, they are probably less experienced. Once they gain more skills, they tend to seek out better-paying customers and often branch out on their own.
Freelance writers work with you directly, and this more intimate connection means that they better understand what you want, with less editing and revisions. Think about it: If you use a content mill and an article you are paying for has mistakes, it has to go back through the channels to the writer and make its way back again to you. That takes more time, too. Freelancers are more like partners and have a vested interest in doing good work for their clients because when customers succeed, they can come along for the ride.
More Advantages of Using Freelancers
Still on the fence about hiring a freelance writer? Strategy Beam has even more reasons to consider this option. Freelance writers do not have to be paid health benefits, vacation time or office space. You need not put them on your payroll or pay for any of their work-related expenses, either. They also make their own hours, so if you have a deadline they might work out of normal business hours to get the job done.
Yet even though you can save money by hiring freelance writers, they are still held accountable for their work. When the work is not up to par, you can start looking for someone else. And unlike full-time employees who are paid by the week, freelancers get paid when they complete their work. You don’t have to worry about paying someone for sleeping at their desk or out spending time at a three-hour lunch.
Just as importantly though, a dissatisfied freelance writer may drop clients who do not treat them well. You cannot expect a freelancer to constantly be at your beck and call and then forget to pay them on time. It is also important to understand that writing needs to be edited before being published and if revisions need to be made the requests should not be insulting.
Freelance writers can also balk at being micro-managed; while certain guidelines and protocols must be followed, constant nitpicking can be problematic. A freelance writer/business owner connection is a partnership and if both parties treat each with respect, the relationship will flourish.